The present invention relates to apparatus and method for recording data on a target storage medium selected from a plurality of storage media housed in a storage medium housing, and more particularly relates to an improved technique of controlling selection of the target storage medium on which data should be recorded.
A recorder with MD changer, in which a number of mini discs (MD""s) can be housed, is one of known recorders including a disk housing where a plurality of storage media can be housed. The recorder with MD changer displays a list of MD""s housed, prompts the user to select a preferred MD on which data should be recorded, and then records the data on the specified MD.
However, in using such a recorder with MD changer, even if the user does not want to specify any particular MD for recording data thereon, the user still must specify an MD for use in recording. Thus, such an operation might sometimes be troublesome for the user.
An object of the present invention is providing apparatus and method for recording data in a target storage medium selected from a plurality of storage media by reference to the residual capacities of respective storage media even if the user does not specify any particular storage medium.
Specifically, a recording apparatus according to the present invention includes: a storage medium housing for housing a plurality of storage media; a drive for recording data, including at least video data, on a target storage medium selected from the storage media housed in the storage medium housing; an individual information manager for managing to individual information of the respective storage media housed in the storage medium housing, the individual information including residual area information indicative of the size of a residual area on which data is recordable; and a controller for calculating the size of a residual area required for recording the data and selecting the target storage medium from the storage media housed in the storage medium housing by reference to the size calculated and the individual information of the respective storage media.
According to the present invention, the controller selects a target from the storage media housed in the storage medium housing by reference to the size calculated and the individual information of the respective storage media that is managed by the individual information manager. And the individual information includes the residual area information indicative of the size of a residual area on which data is recordable. Thus, a target storage medium can be appropriately selected in view of the residual capacities of the respective storage media.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the apparatus further includes an input section for receiving an instruction indicating whether or not a particular one of the storage media is specified. If the controller has received an instruction to specify a particular one of the storage media via the input section, then the controller selects the specified storage medium as the target storage medium. On the other hand, when no particular storage medium is specified, the controller selects at least one of the storage media, having a residual area large enough to record the data, as the target storage medium by reference to the residual area information included in the individual information.
In another embodiment of the present invention, the individual information manager manages attribute information, indicating whether or not each said storage medium housed in the storage medium housing is an unspecified storage medium to be used when no particular storage medium is specified, as a piece of the individual information for each said storage medium. If the controller has received the instruction to specify no particular storage medium via the input section, then the controller selects the target storage medium from the unspecified storage media by reference to the attribute information included in the individual information.
In still another embodiment, the individual information manager manages attribute information, indicating whether each said storage medium housed in the storage medium housing is read-only or rewritable, as a piece of the individual information for each said storage medium. And the controller selects the target storage medium from the rewritable storage media by reference to the attribute information included in the individual information.
In still another embodiment, the storage medium housing houses the respective storage media within a plurality of magazines, a predetermined number of the storage media being housed in each said magazine. The apparatus further includes an input section for receiving an instruction to specify a particular one of the magazines. The controller selects at least one of the storage media, having a residual area large enough to record the data, as the target storage medium from the magazine specified via the input section by reference to the residual area information included in the individual information.
In still another embodiment, the individual information manager manages identifier information, indicative of an identifier recorded on each said storage medium housed in the storage medium housing, as a piece of the individual information for each said storage medium. The apparatus further includes an input section for receiving an identifier of the target storage medium. If the controller has received the identifier of the target storage medium via the input section, then the controller selects one of the storage media, having the received identifier, as a qualified candidate of the target storage medium by reference to the identifier information included in the individual information.
In accordance with a recording method of the present invention, data, including at least video data, is recorded on a target storage medium selected from a plurality of storage media housed in a storage medium housing included in a recording apparatus. The method includes the steps of: managing individual information of each said storage medium housed, the individual information including residual area information indicative of the size of a residual area on which data is recordable; calculating the size of a residual area required for recording the data thereon; selecting the target storage medium from the housed storage media by reference to the size calculated and the individual information; and recording the data on the target storage medium.
According to the present invention, the target storage medium is selected by reference to the individual information (including the residual area information indicative of the size of a residual area on which data is recordable) of the respective storage media managed while the data is recorded. Thus, the target storage medium can be appropriately selected in view of the residual capacities of the respective storage media.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the method preferably further includes the step of receiving an instruction, indicating whether or not a particular one of the storage media is specified, from the outside of the recording apparatus during recording the data. The target selecting step includes the steps of: when a particular one of the storage media is specified, selecting the specified storage medium as the target storage medium; and when no particular storage medium is specified, selecting at least one of the storage media, having a residual area large enough to record the data, as the target storage medium by reference to the residual area information included in the individual information.
In another embodiment of the present invention, the method preferably further includes the step of managing attribute information, indicating whether or not each said storage medium is an unspecified storage medium to be used when no particular storage medium is specified, as a piece of the individual information for each said storage medium. The target selecting step includes the step of, when no particular storage medium is specified, selecting the target storage media from the unspecified storage media by reference to the attribute information included in the individual information.
In still another embodiment, the method preferably further includes the step of managing attribute information, indicating whether each said storage medium is read-only or rewritable, as a piece of the individual information for each said storage medium. The target selecting step includes the step of selecting the target storage media from the rewritable storage media by reference to the attribute information included in the individual information.
In still another embodiment, the respective storage media are housed within a plurality of magazines, a predetermined number of the storage media being stored in each said magazine. The method further includes the step of receiving an instruction to specify a particular one of the magazines from the outside of the recording apparatus. The target selecting step includes the step of selecting at least one of the storage media, having a residual area large enough to record the data, as the target storage medium from the specified magazine by reference to the residual area information included in the individual information.
In still another embodiment, the method preferably further includes the steps of: managing identifier information, indicative of an identifier recorded on each said storage medium, as a piece of the individual information for each said storage medium; and receiving an instruction to specify an identifier of the target storage medium from the outside of the recording apparatus during recording the data. The target selecting step includes the step of selecting one of the storage media having the specified identifier as a qualified candidate of the target storage medium by reference to the identifier information included in the individual information.
In accordance with another recording method of the present invention, data, including at least video data, is recorded on a target storage medium selected from a plurality of storage media housed in a storage medium housing included in a recording apparatus. The method includes the steps of: calculating the size of a residual area required for recording the data thereon; selecting some rewritable storage media from the storage media housed; selecting some unspecified storage media, to be used when no particular storage medium is specified, from the selected rewritable storage media; selecting some storage media, having respective residual areas equal to or larger than the calculated size, from the selected rewritable and unspecified storage media; selecting a storage medium, having a minimum or maximum residual area, from the selected storage media as the target storage medium; and recording the data on the target storage medium.